Tamil Nadu extends lockdown till July 31, thereby, entering into the sixth phase, in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. By Tanvi Jain
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Tamil Nadu has announced the sixth phase of lockdown till July 31, amid rising cases of COVID-19. While Chennai and Madurai will remain under strict lockdown till July 5, the rest of the state will have the current relaxations till July 31. The state government reportedly stated in its order that from July 6, Chennai will go back to pre–June 19, and Madurai to pre-June 24 relaxed lockdowns.
“Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announces ‘maximized restricted lockdown’ from 19th to 30th June in areas of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur districts which come under Metropolitan Chennai Police limits,” ANI tweeted.
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Soon after announcing relaxations under Unlock 1.0, the Tamil Nadu Government had again imposed intense lockdown in Chennai and its neighbouring areas such as Chengalpet, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram, from June 19 till June 30. In Madurai also similar restrictions were imposed from June 24 to June 30.
News reports further suggest that both public, as well as private bus services, will remain suspended from July 1 to July 15. Moreover, schools, colleges, shopping malls, bar, lodges, resorts, movie halls, and places of worship will also remain shut. Furthermore, tourism will remain banned in hotspots such as Nilgiris, Yercaud, and Kodaikanal.
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The decision to extend the lockdown was taken by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, hours after meeting with health experts and senior officials on the state’s condition and preparedness on how to deal with the Coronavirus situation. However, the committee reportedly denied suggesting an extension of lockdown, and instead pressed on coming up with a new strategy.
As per the state government data, Tamil Nadu has so far recorded at least 86,224 cases of Coronavirus (as on June 30, 2020). Apart from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal have also extended the lockdown till July 31.
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